Cadence Set In Stone

Nilüfer Yanya “The Dealer”

“The Dealer” sounds like trying to feel calm and rational in a chaotic situation and mostly succeeding on a mental front but not really accounting for the body still feeling the effects of anxiety. Nilüfer Yanya sings from the perspective of someone attempting to make sense of a relationship that’s suddenly become confusing – why are they seemingly acting out of character? What happened to the person I could rely on? She’s rethinking everything she knows about them and recalibrating her expectations in the moment. I like that this song is set in a moment where it’s unclear whether or not the relationship is actually doomed, the possibility that this is something that can be dealt with reasonably gives the music interesting emotional stakes. Can this be fixed, and if so, is it worth it?

Buy it from Bandcamp.